As I start to pick some new clothes out, aside from my ancient jeans, beige shirt, black jeans, and sneakers, I can hear my husband’s voice. “Really Niall, that outfit makes you look like you are working as a scullery maid. Go get a different outfit on. Now!”

I would always run and do as he bid. I would go back upstairs to change and come back down in a suit. “Is this better Ed?”

“Just fine Niall, now we have to go.”

In my thoughts I didn’t hear the customer service woman come up to me. “Sir may I help you find anything?”

I jumped and curse to myself for going back and not staying aware of my surroundings. I needed to be ready to run at any moment. So I just smiled and said, “No thank you. I found almost everything.”

I checked out with a Pink T-shirt, Dark jeans, as well as a baby blue hoodie, and left the store with my items. I look at the clock, and seeing that I have enough time, I decide to get some tea. I walk to the café and see, my ex-husband Ed. I know his face anywhere. He is holding a picture, showing it to someone. I see the picture and it is of me. I pale and turn around quickly. My quickness must have alerted him because he comes my way and I walk to the train as fast as possible. I made it to the train platform and onto the train before he could get there. He, as usual, was trying to bribe his way through. As the door to the train shut and it pulled out of the station, I saw as security pulled him away. But I wondered what he was doing in Paris looking for me when I gasped and realized what I did in New York. I stupidly left the card with the name “Niall Anders” on it, in my wallet, and used it to buy a plane ticket to France. As the train rolled on I thought about how I escaped from him the first time.

…………………………………………………………

I was driving from his brother, Allen’s house in Illinois because I was forced to go to his party by Ed. That morning, before I left, I complained of pain in my knee and he said I didn’t want to go just because I wanted to embarrass him. So I just took aspirin and left, while he went off to his golf game. While at the party several people noticed that I was in pain; so Allen told me to go rest, which I gratefully did. As the party wound down I was one of the last to leave. I called Ed to tell him I was on my way home as he always insisted. I was on a back road and no one else was around, so I started to speed up. Losing control, due to me going nearly eighty miles per hour, I veered off the road, towards a huge tree. I jumped out before the car hit the tree ducking for cover in case of an explosion from the car. After I was in the clear I grabbed the bag that was stashed there and walked to the bus station. I bought a one way ticket to New York and on one of the stops, after about three hours on the bus, I heard about the tragic misfortune of Niall Anderson.

The news woman stated, “The car accident of Niall Anderson was a great tragedy. There is no body to be discovered. Police suspect that Mr. Anderson has wondered off and are searching for him as we speak. More tonight at eight.

……………………………………………………………………

I came out of my thoughts as we crossed the border into Austria. It took several more hours but we finally ended up in Greece, just as the sun was about to set. The ferry station, luckily, was connected to the train station. I bought a ticket for the next morning since the ferries do not run late at night. So I decided to look around the city of Athens after I change into my new clothes. I change and start to look around at the history that surrounded the city. I even went to visit the Parthenon, which was so huge. I even imagined the huge statue of Athena that once stood here many years ago. My teacher in college explained that the statue was around sixty feet and was made of gold and ivory. Visualizing the statue I also visualized many people from Ancient Greece coming here and kneeling before the statue. From there I went to a little dinner to try some authentic Greek food. By the time I finished, it was almost dark by the time I found a hotel. That night I slept in the softest bed I had in a long time.

As I slept I dreamt of my parents who were killed by a drunk driver when I was twenty. It was a sweet dream. They kept telling me, “You are almost safe. Just a little longer and you will be safe.” I cried because I missed them so much and I couldn’t be with them. Then all of a sudden I was standing in front of the place I dreaded most. The door opened, I walked in and saw a vase with red Roses, and it was always roses. That night the call came of my parents’ death and the next day we flew out to make funeral arrangements. At the funeral, my college friends Henry and Missy, hugged me and consoled me as much as possible. After my parents were buried they told me some great yet said news.

“Niall we are leaving the country. Our uncle left us some land on the Island of Andros in Greece.” Henry said, which made me happy, but also even sadder.

“We are going to miss you Niall. Come and visit soon okay?” Missy asks.

I nod, hug them goodbye and go back to Ed. The day we got home, in private, he hit me and accused me of cheating on him with Henry and the lawyer handling my parents’ wills. The next day I started to plan my escape from Ed and his tyranny.

I awoke with tears in my eyes at seven in the morning, after having the dream of people from seven years ago, and started to get ready to go. At nine thirty I was on my way to the island of Andros, thinking about my tall, lanky, brown haired, topaz eyed friends from college. As I was getting closer and closer to the island I asked myself “Is anywhere safe?”

After about six hours and twelve minutes the ferry arrived on Andros. Believe it or not, there was a baggage claim. My bag was marked by a light blue ribbon, but when I got to the baggage claim I saw that there were two bags with light blue ribbons, so I grabbed the one closest to me. I hitched the bag to my shoulder and walked down the street to the various shops just to browse and instantly fell in love with the homey feel of the island. As I walked I found bakery and a book shop called Bake a Book. I entered the store and was calmed by the peaceful flute music playing softly in the background.

When I went to browse an older woman, around fifty, came up to me. “Can I help you young man?”

“No thank you Ma’am. I’m just going to browse if that is alright,” I reply quietly.

“Well then go for it, just don’t make a mess. It took forever to order these books.”

I just nod as she says this and browse for books. As I browse I notice an archway and a smell of something sweet coming from the other side. I am lured in by the sweet aroma of chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate. When I walk through the archway I see a girl with brown hair, in her twenties, struggling with the cappuccino machine.

I walk up to the counter, “Excuse me, do you need some help with that?”

She turns, as if startled, and sighs. “If you could get this thing to work it would be a big help.”

I give her a big smile and go behind the counter to look at the machine. After pushing the blend, mix, and make buttons on the cappuccino machine it started to work.

She looked shocked, “How did you actually get that to work? I’ve been trying to get that thing to work for hours.”

I laugh. “I’ve had tons of practice at other places I have worked.”

She smiles. “Well I am thoroughly impressed. I have to talk to my brother into hiring you. He owns the store. Oh I’ll go now, don’t leave until I get back with him.” She rushes off and leaves me shocked, without even being able to get a word in.

A few minutes later the girl comes back with a tall, lanky guy, probably in his late twenties, with a mess of brown hair a top his head. He looks me up and down as I look at the ground.

“So,” he says, “Missy here tells me that you got the cappuccino contraption to work. I’m Henry the owner of Bake a Book, and you are?”

“I’m Niall Hale. It’s nice to meet you Henry.”

“Wait Hale? That name sounds familiar.” Missy and Henry state at the same time, to which I laugh.

“Well it is my grandmother’s, on my father’s side, maiden name.” I still laugh as I am saying this.

They gasp and Missy looks at me. “Niall is that you? Is it truly you?”

“It’s me, in the flesh.” I look at them contemplating their reactions. What I didn’t expect was being pounced on.

Henry had tears in his voice, “We heard you were dead. What happened?”

“Guys slow down. I’ll tell you guys everything. Let’s sit.” We sat as I told them everything. “I left Ed. I killed my self and left him. He beat me and destroyed everything I was before.”

“So Niall are you staying on Island or what,” Missy asks, still a little shaky as if she is ready for a fight to convince me to stay here.

“I was actually planning to stay for a while once I find a place to stay. I love the homey feeling of Andros. It may be possible for me to set roots down here.”

They nod and smile. Then Henry speaks up, “Well you’re hired and we happen to have a place.” He takes out a key ring and motions for me to follow him out back. We head out and Henry shouts, “Be back in 10 minutes Lucy!”

We walk through the back roads behind several of the stores and Henry tries to make business and polite conversation. “So Niall, how much money do you have?”

I stiffen up a little, “I have enough to get by for a while.”

He just nods, as if somehow not to push that subject. “Well the job will entail you to bake whatever you can, use that evil cappuccino machine when someone wants one, and you have to be in at ten every day. On Sundays you will have off and the shop closes around seven at night when it is on season. Off season we tend to close at four or five depending on the day.”

I nod along and stop when I see a faded sky blue, one story cottage, with white shutters. “Henry do you and Missy live here?”

“No, but you do. We live above the store.” We walk up onto the patio.

He unlocks the door and lets me in. “Wow. Henry this place is nice!”

“That is why I bought it. The rooms are a good size and the fire place here in the living room will be nice if it gets chilly at any point. The kitchen is in great condition, bathroom on the small side, and room for a garden in the back.”

I nod as he lists other stuff off while I try and take in everything. After seeing this I knew that I had to stay on Island. “So where can I sign the contract?”

“We will get that and the work forms filled out tomorrow. We will also get you some cooking stuff for the house and so on. Oh and I will need the receipts for whatever you get for the store. Now you settle in and such. We will see you tomorrow.”